Yes, a harmonica will help open the Hudson Valley Philharmonic season

When thinking of a symphony orchestra, a harmonica doesn't immediately spring to mind as a key instrument.

Deborah J. Botti

When thinking of a symphony orchestra, a harmonica doesn't immediately spring to mind as a key instrument.

"That's because it isn't," says conductor Randall Craig Fleischer, poised to begin his 21st year as the musical director of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, of the rare pairing that will mark the opening of the orchestra's 54th season.

Saturday, Robert Bonfiglio will perform the Villa Lobos Harmonica Concerto. Bonfiglio has played with premier orchestras around the world, prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and has caught media attention that spans the Washington Post and Boston Globe to "Live! With Regis and Kathy Lee" and "Larry King Live," among many others.

"I heard the piece in the '80s in Miami. It's a piece I've known about and one I think our conservative audience members will enjoy ... and might also be a hook for new, younger people," says Fleischer.

With growing competition — live and online — for entertainment dollars and attention, Fleischer is charged with an ever-growing demand to provide fresh sounds with musical integrity that engage the generations.

His signature preconcert talks an hour beforehand, which often include the soloist and an orchestra member, allow a sharing of his contagious love of music.

"When I tell the human story behind the piece or the composer — or a dazzling error once made — it makes the experience more real for the audience," says Fleischer, an active guest conductor with symphonies worldwide and a pioneer in symphonic rock and world music fusion.

"Copland was born and raised in Brooklyn but lived in Peekskill," says Fleischer. "'Appalachian Spring' is one of his most popular works. It's so beautiful and compelling ... and Copland is so American and refreshing."

Rounding out the upbeat evening is an optimistic and energetic work by Mozart, Symphony No. 38.

"He was a much bigger success in Prague, and he wrote this during one of the happiest periods in his life. It absolutely bubbles over with joy," says Fleischer. "Although knowing what we know about Mozart, he also wrote some joyful pieces when he was pretty miserable."